Energy Star

ECOMAGINATION AT WORK GE's Ecomagination initiative is committed to cleaner technologies and stabilization of greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. New consumer products include: Profile Harmony washers have extra-large capacity for fewer loads, use less water, and meet 2007 Energy Star guidelines for energy efficiency. Compact fluorescent light bulbs have energy savings of 70 to 75 percent and last up to 10 times as long as incandescent bulbs. Profile Smartdispense dishwashers automatically add just the right amount of detergent for each load based on size, water hardness and temperature, saving $400 over the life of the dishwasher.

If you are like many homeowners lamenting your air conditioning bill this summer, now might be the time to consider making your home more energy-efficient. Why, you ask? It's simple: a poorly sealed home with a lot of cracks for air to escape is an expensive home to heat and cool. While this is just a quick example of how improving the energy efficiency of your home can save you money (not to mention the environment), the world of "energy efficient" homes is often nuanced and confusing to the average homeowner.

With winter encroaching - or having already arrived, if you're on the East Coast - now is the time to make sure your home's energy efficiency is ready to handle the elements. If you act fast, you can earn an energy-efficiency tax credit of up to $500 on qualified products installed in your primary residence before Dec. 31, 2011. The cumulative credit can be claimed for any combination of the following projects - excluding installation and labor costs: INSULATION Tax credit: 10 percent of the cost (up to $500)

Bright idea Just when you replaced all the incandescent light bulbs in your house with those funny-looking CFL light bulbs, there's a new energy saving bulb in town - LED lights. "One of the biggest innovations we've seen is the emergence of LED lighting, which is extremely energy efficient," says Brian Baker of Studio 26. Instead of lasting 3,000 hours like an incandescent bulb, LED light bulbs can last 30,000-50,000 hours. "You can dim them to create ambiance and they now come in good color temperatures to create soft, cozy lighting that consumers want," Baker says.

Here's where you can find more information about replacement windows: The Efficient Windows Collaborative, www.efficientwindows.org. This Web site provides information on the benefits of energy-efficient windows, descriptions of how they work, and recommendations for their selection by region. The Web site is sponsored by the Efficient Windows Collaborative with support from the U.S. Department of Energy's Windows and Glazings Program and industry members. The Energy Star Program, www.energystar.

Bright idea Just when you replaced all the incandescent light bulbs in your house with those funny-looking CFL light bulbs, there's a new energy saving bulb in town - LED lights. "One of the biggest innovations we've seen is the emergence of LED lighting, which is extremely energy efficient," says Brian Baker of Studio 26. Instead of lasting 3,000 hours like an incandescent bulb, LED light bulbs can last 30,000-50,000 hours. "You can dim them to create ambiance and they now come in good color temperatures to create soft, cozy lighting that consumers want," Baker says.

Weis Markets donates to St. Luke's women's center Weis Markets has donated $20,000 to St. Luke's Women's Health Center to help pay for an ultrasound machine for the clinic in Allentown. St. Luke's Women's Health Centers provide prenatal care and gynecological services for women of all ages, the majority of whom are insured through medical assistance. The centers offer routine prenatal and gynecological checkups, ultrasound and other diagnostic procedures. St. Luke's Women's Health Centers feature teams of doctors, nurses, dietitians, social workers and specialists who understand women's health and focus on the personal and physical changes that occur during pregnancy.

By Beth W. Orenstein Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | June 2, 2002

Want to build an energy-efficient home? There are a number of options locally. The Department of Environmental Protection has an Energy Star program for homes just as it does refrigerators, washers and other appliances. Owners of homes that have the Energy Star label are guaranteed to save at least 30 percent on their energy costs over what they would if they owned a similarly sized traditionally built home. Energy Star homes have such features as specially coated windows, extra tight air ducts, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, and extra insulation around the exterior walls.

Home Depot's 20 stores within 50 miles of Allentown are now places where you can drop off those burned-out compact fluorescent light bulbs you've been stockpiling. Home Depot has announced it will collect the bulbs for recycling, helping to keep mercury in the bulbs out of the household trash and out of the environment. More than 75 percent of U.S. households are within 10 miles of a Home Depot store. Home Depot's Eco Options products are categorized as environmentally friendly or sustainably produced.

The Morning Call recently informed readers about PPL Electric's program to pay homeowners to recycle old, inefficient appliances. The program pays $35 for a working refrigerator. Like many energy-conscious consumers in the Valley, we opted to replace our old refrigerator with a new Energy Star rated brand. It seems many people are doing the same. Bravo! Unfortunately, PPL's program is not prepared to handle the volume of these energy-conscious residents. I was told on the phone April 20 the "soonest possible pickup date would be May 10."

WASHINGTON — School administrators seeking to reduce district energy costs could have an easier time finding and navigating federal assistance programs under a bill from U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright that passed in the House on Monday. The legislation would direct the Department of Energy to collect and distribute information on federal energy-efficiency programs and financing tools that are sprinkled through various agencies. Cartwright, a first-term Democrat who represents Easton and northeastern parts of Northampton County, said there are numerous federal initiatives aimed at helping schools with energy projects.

Country Meadows home earns top honor Country Meadows of Bethlehem Nursing Center recently received the highest overall rating of five stars in U.S. News & World Report's annual Best Nursing Homes. Best Nursing Homes provides data and information on care, safety, health inspections, staffing and more for nearly every nursing facility in the United States. A searchable database lets users find highly rated nursing homes by distance as well as by location. Each facility's profile displays health and fire violations, performance in important clinical categories and how much time nursing staff spends with residents.

By Patrick O'Donnell and Special to The Morning Call | November 8, 2013

As energy prices continue to rise, "green" construction is moving to the forefront of builders' - and buyers' - minds in the Lehigh Valley. Long the realm of environmentalists, green building is quickly becoming a mainstream issue - and one that experts say builders and real estate agents ignore at their own peril. "There's absolutely more and more people starting to see the value in it," says Brian Baker, president of Lehigh Valley Green Builders, a nonprofit organization that aims to promote green building and renewable energy.

WASHINGTON — It has been a controversial question in the home real estate market for years: Is there extra green when you buy green? Do houses with lots of energy-saving and sustainability features sell for more than houses without them? If so, by how much? Some studies have shown that consumers' willingness to pay more for Energy Star and other green-rated homes tends to diminish during tough economic times. Others have found that green-certified houses sell for at least a modest premium over similar but less-efficient homes.

During summer, many of us look forward to fun-filled days at the pool or beach, but we definitely don't look forward to exorbitantly high cooling bills during the heat of the season. A typical single-family home shells out $2,200 in annual energy costs, according a recent study by theU.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. And according to the Laboratory's website, if a house has central air conditioning, even though the system is only used a few months out of the year, it is most likely the single biggest consumer of electricity, driving annual air conditioning costs that can exceed a shocking $1,000.

Somehow, shelling out a lot of money in the service of greener living seems a little out of kilter. An ethic of conservation and limited waste, some inner voice says, shouldn't require extravagant spending. There's bound to be a substantial price tag, though, if you opt for a major project - generating your own power or refitting your whole house with advanced, high-performance windows, for instance. If your budget doesn't allow for that kind of work, professionals in energy conservation and organic gardening say, you can improve the environmental profile of your house at much more modest cost.

Do you know if your apartment building, place of employment, or favorite hotel is operating efficiently? Even the seemingly minor decisions we make each day can have a significant impact on our health, finances and surrounding environment. While most people know about the small changes they can make at home to have a positive impact, including using natural products, recycling and reducing waste and installing efficient appliances and fixtures, they may not know how easy it is to make the same environmentally friendly choices outside the home.

Going green doesn't involve any magical, groundbreaking spells, John Wagner, author of "Green Remodeling" (Creative Homeowner Press, 2008), says. You can still use carpet and furniture and drywall, but you're using greener versions of them, he says. For a beginner who's just starting to venture into green home remodeling, change can be daunting. What's one small step to take, perhaps, in celebration of Earth Day? Do an appraisal of your home, Wagner says. Reduce the level of toxins in your home by going under sinks and taking away things that seem suspicious.

• Owner: Peter Krajsa, John Hayes and Board • Founded : 1947 • Sector : Finance and insurance • Company description : Allentown-based company providing energy efficiency and renewable energy lending and training programs for residential home improvements nationally through a network of over 3,000 contractors, manufacturers, utility and state governments. In 2011 named the nation's first private non-utility Home Performance with Energy Star sponsor by the U.S. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency.